Matthew Simunovic

Professor Matthew Simunovic is a leading academic in ophthalmology at the University of Sydney, holding a professorial appointment in the Faculty of Medicine and Health and working at the Save Sight Institute. He serves as a Senior Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Sydney Eye Hospital and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, specializing in retinal diseases and vitreoretinal surgery.

• MB BChir (Cambridge), PhD (Cambridge), FRANZCO
• First Australian ophthalmologist to receive Foundation Fighting Blindness Career Development Award (USA)
• Member of prestigious societies: American Ophthalmological Society, Macula Society

His research interests span four main areas: laboratory research on gene-independent treatments for retinal diseases and optogenetics; experimental surgery for subretinal drug delivery optimization; functional biomarkers for retinal disease progression; and clinical trials including the ONL Study, Renexus Phase III Trial, and 1,2-SIT comparing subretinal injection techniques. Key projects include retinal bioglue development and international registry initiatives.

Recent publications show strong focus on retinal disease treatment (2025: 15+ articles), gene therapy applications (2024), optogenetics for vision restoration (2023), and deep learning in OCT analysis (2022-2023). His work combines cutting-edge biomedical engineering with clinical practice across genetic diseases, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy.

• Scientific Awards
  • Multiple international fellowships (Wellcome Trust, Foulkes Foundation)
  • Prizes from Royal College of Ophthalmologists
  • Top publications in New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Biomedical Engineering
• Grants & Collaborations
  • NHMRC Ideas Grant (2021) for optogenetics
  • Macular Disease Foundation Australia grant
  • Collaborations with Oxford, Tübingen, and APIED Network
  • Equipment grants for HD-MEA technology